


A parent's worst nightmare

by Fantasticoncer



Series: Our magical family [4]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Death In Dream, Child Death, Father-Daughter Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Gellert Grindelwald Being an Asshole, Gen, Nightmares, Original Percival Graves Gets a Hug, Original Percival Graves Needs a Hug, Parent Original Percival Graves, Swearing, Temporary Character Death, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-10-07 10:33:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17364371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fantasticoncer/pseuds/Fantasticoncer
Summary: Percival has a terrible nightmare after being held captive by GrindelwaldRated for safety





	A parent's worst nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> Fair warning that this is darker than the rest of my series

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognise.

_Percival sighed deeply as he leant against the wall, the chains binding his arms behind his back rattling at his movement. Grindelwald just had to make a prison out of Percival's own basement, didn't he? He closed his eyes as he thought of his children, now that Grindelwald was out of the room. Were they safe? Were they alright? Percival missed them like he never had before, but he knew that he would rather spend the rest of his life being a prisoner, if it meant that his children were safe._

_Suddenly, the door at the top of the stairs opened and Percival immediately threw his mental shields up. Footsteps were heard coming down the stairs, accompanied by the sound of someone desperately struggling. Had Grindelwald taken another poor soul prisoner? "I have to say that you keep surprising me, Percy." The dark wizard said, flicking on the lights and keeping his new prisoner behind him._

_Percival blinked at the sudden change and lightning, before glaring at the dark wizard. "What do you want, you fucking bastard?!" He growled. Grindelwald smirked dangerously. "I met a peculiar young lady today and her mind gave me so much information. I must admit that I never really saw you as a family man." Grindelwald continued, before suddenly throwing his new prisoner forward, making her stumble a bit and fall to the ground. It was Modesty._

_Percival's eyes widened in pure fear. No, no it couldn't be! His daughter was supposed to be safe. Grindelwald should never have come close to her. His daughter looked up at him, her bottom lip trembling and her eyes wide in fright. "I'm sorry, daddy." She whispered. Percival shook his head. "It's alright, sweetheart. It's not your fault." He said softly, trying to reassure her and to make her feel as safe as possible, even with Grindelwald being right there._

_The dark wizard cackled loudly like the insane man that he was. "So, she really is yours? Oh, Merlin. This is great." He laughed. Modesty crawled towards her father and climbed onto his lap as best as she could. Unable to hold her, Percival buried his face in her hair, whispering empty reassurances in her ear. "It's alright, my little swan. I'm here. I will protect you." He breathed, even though he knew that Grindelwald had him in a tight corner._

_Grindelwald was still chuckling, before his eyes widened. "Wait a minute. If she is yours, then that means that Credence is yours as well." He said. Percival simply refused to look at him and laughed. "Oh, this is great. I finally discovered your weaknesses. Your dear children." The laughing fell away as Grindelwald got serious. "Now, then. You have a choice Percy. You either tell me everything that you haven't told me yet, or the next few minutes will be very uncomfortable for your little girl." He said sneering at Modesty._

_Percival simply looked at him and he sighed, before walking forwards and harshly pulling Modesty from her father's lap, despite the young girl struggling to the best of her abilities. Percival desperately threw himself forward against the chains. "No! Don't hurt her! Please!" He pleaded. Grindelwald looked at him with surprise and no small amount of satisfaction on his face._

_"I haven't done anything and you're already pleading for her life. I should have found out about your precious family sooner." He cackled. Modesty trembled heavily in fear. Percival looked at his daughter, trying to calm her down, even though his options were limited. Seeing how his prisoner still hadn't said anything, Grindelwald's patience finally ran thin. He put a silencing spell on the girl and took a step back_

_"Perhaps you need a demonstration, considering that you are not exactly cooperating." The dark wizard growled, before a spell shot out of his wand and hit Modesty. The young girl immediately fell to the ground, tears streaming down her face and her mouth open in a silenced scream. Percival strained against his chains, two cuffs on his arms preventing him from using his magic and saving his daughter._

_"Stop! I will tell you everything, but please stop!" He shouted desperately. Grindelwald raised a single eyebrow, but lifted the curse. Modesty slowly stopped screaming, but the tears continued to roll down. She looked at her father, her eyes begging him to save her. He just looked at her, never having felt so helpless in his life. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm so sorry." He whispered, tears streaming down his own cheeks._

_Modesty slowly pushed herself up on shaky arms and crawled towards him once again, but this time a lot slower and the girl collapsing in pain several times. She rested her head on his leg, once she had finally managed to get to him, desperately clinging to the last bit or safety that she had there in the basement of what she once called her home. Grindelwald had watched her slow journey in silence, but now, he had enough._

_"I'm waiting. Unless you want your daughter to go through round two, you better start talking." He threatened. Percival took a deep breath and began to talk, his daughter's trembling body being all the motivation that he needed. Once he had finished talking, he bowed his head in shame. He had betrayed MACUSA and his society, but his daughter's life was more important to him than anything._

_Grindelwald smiled sadistically. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it? You just needed the right motivation." He said, sneering down at the scared girl._ _Percival curled his body around his daughter as much as he could, glaring at the dark wizard. "I've told you everything. Now let my daughter go, please." He begged. He just wanted his daughter out of here, even if he knew that she would never be truly safe again, as long as Grindelwald was out there._

 _Grindelwald showed a smile that was almost friendly looking._ _"Don't worry, Percy. In a few seconds, your precious daughter will not feel pain anymore" He said, before pulling Modesty away from her father once again. The girl struggled again, but her efforts were a lot weaker after the curse that the dark wizard had inflicted on her. Grindelwald held her tightly by her upper arm and pointed Percival's wand at her. Percival looked at his daughter, before looking at Grindelwald. Seeing the man's evil smile, Percival's eyes widened in fear and he threw himself against his chains._

_"No!"_

_"Avada kedavra!"_

_Green light filled the basement, before dying down. Grindelwald let go of Modesty and the girl's body fell like a puppet, whose strings had been cut. Percival looked at his daughter's body, screaming in devastation and despair. Suddenly, the chains disappeared and he fell forward, even though the cuffs stayed on. He crawled towards his daughter and desperately tried to feel a pulse, despite knowing that he would not find any. She was gone. His little girl was dead and it was his fault._

_He lifted her body and cradled her in his arms. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm so sorry. I failed you. Please forgive me." He begged, rocking his daughter's body back-and-forth, already feeling her skin getting colder with every second. His daughter didn't respond to his words. She never would respond again. He looked up and glared at the dark wizard responsible. "I will fucking kill you for this!" He roared. Grindelwald simply laughed and walked out, the door slamming shut behind him._

_\--------------------_

_February 1927_

Percival shot up in bed with a gasp. He immediately looked around and realised that he was in his bedroom in his new home. "It was just a fucking nightmare." He muttered, slightly chuckling in relief. He was safe and Grindelwald was gone. He took deep breaths to calm himself down, before getting up to check on his children. He checked on Credence first, his son peacefully sleeping in his bed. He softly closed the door, before going to his daughter's room down the hall. 

Modesty had been awake for at least half an hour now, unable to fall back asleep and unwilling to disturb her father. He needed his rest after everything that he had gone through. She looked at her nightlight, before lifting her head, when she saw her door open. She smiled at seeing her father. "Daddy." She whispered, reaching out to him with one arm. Percival quickly walked over and sat down at the edge of the bed, stroking his daughter's hair and sighing in relief at feeling her skin warm with life. 

"What are you doing awake?" He whispered. Modesty shrugged. "I woke up and couldn't fall back asleep anymore. What about you?" She asked. Percival shook his head. "That's not important, sweetheart." He replied. His daughter gave him a look. "Nightmare?" She guessed correctly, making her father chuckle. "Am I becoming that easy to read?" He joked, feeling better now that he knew that his daughter was alright.

Modesty simply shrugged again. "Usually, when you're dismissive about something, it's always something bad and at this time of day or night, I guessed that it was a nightmare." She explained. Percival just smiled at her. Modesty narrowed her eyes. "One of us got hurt, didn't we?" She guessed, once again correctly. Her father's nightmares usually consisted out of one of them getting hurt. Percival looked down in answer. Modesty sat up and leaned against her father, wrapping her arms around him in an attempt to comfort him. 

"What was it about?" She asked, rubbing his back and resting her head on the edge of his shoulder and chest. Percival took a deep breath, wrapping his arms around her. "Grindelwald had taken you prisoner and was hurting you, just to get to me." He whispered. He had promised his children to be honest as possible about his nightmares. He just wouldn't go into details. "His daughter's grip on him tightened and she borrowed herself into his chest. "I'm here, daddy and I'm fine. We're together again and we're safe." She whispered. 

Percival kissed the top of her head, holding her tightly against him. He buried his face into her hair and smelled her familiar scent. She was safe and alive. Grindelwald didn't get to her. They were all safe. Gentle knocking made them both look up to see Credence standing in the doorway. "You two decided to have a pyjama party and you didn't invite me?" He joked, even though he could see that his father had a nightmare. 

Percival reached out to him with one arm and Credence quickly joined them on the bed. Percival held both his children tightly, mentally reassuring himself that they were all safe. The bastard with the name of Grindelwald was in prison and Percival would be damned before that man came close to his children. Modesty and Credence hugged their father back just as tightly.

After several minutes, they all got up and went to the master bedroom. Percival laid down in the middle of the bed with his children on either side of him. He kissed the both of them on the top of their heads. "I love you both so much." He whispered. His children both smiled at that. "We love you too, dad." Credence replied, his sister sleepily humming in agreement.

Percival smiled at the both of them and gave them another kiss on their heads, before closing his eyes. They were all safe and sound. No one would come after them. They were safe and that's all that he wanted. His children soon followed his example and closed their own eyes. All three of them quickly fell back asleep after that, feeling safe in each other's presence. No more nightmares haunted any of them that night.

**Author's Note:**

> I am so sorry for writing this, but for some reason I'm in a really sombre mood today. Next one shot will be happier, I promise. 
> 
> Well, read and review, I guess. See you next time.


End file.
